Kids' Cell Phones Reviews

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Kids' Cell Phones Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Kids' Cell Phones Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. Yahoo! Tech	Dory Devlin: The Mom Dory Devlin As of Apr. 2008		Yahoo! tech columnist Dory Devlin blogs about technology topics from a parent's point of view. Because it is a blog, the site is a little hard to navigate, but the effort is worth it as Devlin is one of the few experts to regularly and recently discuss cell phones for kids. For example, this past September, Devlin reported that the redesigned Firefly mobile phone is more likely to appeal to tweens than a "phone that looks like a baby-kid phone." More recently, she comments on Kajeet's new text messaging capabilities. The site also includes hands-on reviews of the Wherifone and Kajeet. A series of posts -- and reader comments -- on selecting a cell phone for her own teenager is also helpful.
2. PC Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Tech for Tots Molly K. McLaughlin and Sascha Segan Oct. 3, 2007		This article reports on various technology products for kids, including the two latest Firefly cell phones -- the glowPhone and the flyPhone. Unfortunately, neither scores particularly well. Sascha Segan says that on the surface, the flyPhone has a lot going for it, including a looks and strong multimedia features. However, that's all undone by call quality that's described as "awful." Though not reviewed, Segan recommends Kajeet instead. The Firefly glowPhone rates a little bit better. However, it is best for younger children and testing reveals that durability might be a problem.

Kids' Cell Phones Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Kids' Cell Phones Ratings Comments on Reviews

3. ToysRUs.com	Cell Phones & Accessories Contributors to ToysRUs.com As of Apr. 2008		Owner-written reports of the major kids' cell phone options can be found here, though those for Kajeet might take some digging to find. Comments indicate that the Wherifone is easy to use and lightweight. The Firefly glowPhone also gets some nice comments, and users seem to think it is an improvement over the old design. The Firefly flyPhone does even better, and scores perfect grades from user reviewers so far. Among Kajeet phones, the Kajeet Katana II 6650 scores best, although one user complains that it breaks easily.
4. BestBuy.com	Pay-As-You-Go Phones: Kajeet Contributors to BestBuy.com As of Apr. 2008		Owners review four Kajeet pay-as-you-go phones here. The Samsung m300 gets the highest marks, followed by the Sanyo Katana. However, other kids' cell phones aren't reviewed and even the Kajeet phones don't get that much feedback.
5. Amazon.com	Kids' Cell Phones "Traveling Girl" and Contributors to Amazon.com As of Apr. 2008		This Listmania! list compiled by an Amazon.com user posting as "Traveling Girl" is a good jumping-off point to explore the user reviews of kids' cell phones at this site. Among current models, the Wherifone gets the highest marks; users say they like the GPS feature and that the phone is easy to use. Users give Firefly cell phones low marks, citing poor customer service and too many fees. They liked the concept, however.
6. PC World >> Details/Subscribe	Dialed In: Cell Phones for Kids Grace Aquino Aug. 2006		Though outdated, this story does review two kids' cell phones still on the market: the Enfora TicTalk and the Wherify Wherifone. Grace Aquino says these phones are aimed at tweens, and there are parental controls over incoming and outgoing calls. For example, to set up an account for the TicTalk, parents must go to the Enfora website, where they program the phone with numbers for family and friends. The Wherifone comes with GPS. No phones are rated here, however.
7. The New York Times >> Details/Subscribe	Cellphones That Track the Kids David Pogue Dec.21, 2006		The New York Times tech guru David Pogue discusses the GPS features now included in kids' phones. Some of the information is now out of date, but two of the products discussed remain available. The Wherifone is targeted to very young customers, he says. And you can program it to speed-dial parents. You can also pinpoint a phone's location. He does note, though, that the phone hisses. Guardian Angel's GPS system is more sophisticated than its rivals, but the service is more expensive. Pogue also notes that you can add tracking services to phones and plans from carriers such as Verizon and Sprint. None of the companies or products are rated or recommended.

Kids' Cell Phones Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Kids' Cell Phones Ratings Comments on Reviews

8. DisneyFamily.com	Kajeet: Solution for Tween Cell Phones "ShopandTell" June 12, 2007		This blog post at DisneyFamily.com says that Kajeet seems like a good solution for parents that are uncomfortable giving a conventional cell phone to tweens. The post describes the reasons why giving a tween a cell phone could be a good decision, but why a conventional cell phone can cause parents distress. The writer, a blogger known as ShopandTell, promises to keep readers posted on how well the family's experience with Kajeet works out, and two follow-up posts share some happy details.
9. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	Straight talk on cell phones for children Editors of Consumer Reports Feb. 2006		Consumer Reports addresses things parents should consider when buying any cell phone for kids, and briefly reviews the previous version of the Firefly cell phone. Though the review here is out of date, it is still worth a read for the advice it shares.
10. CNet.com	Cell Phones Kent German, Nicole Lee As of Apr. 2008		CNet.com reviews kids' cell phone on occasion, but finding the reports is a nuisance because there is no up-to-date landing page for them and current models are buried among the more than 450 cell phones the site currently lists. Ken German reviews the Wherify Wherifone and gives it good, but not great ratings. However, call quality is good and parental control features are solid. He does find flaws in the GPS performance and calls the design "boring." German covers the Enfora TicTalk and calls it a solid choice for pre-teens despite being confusing to use --at least at first -- and "shaky" audio quality. In an Editors' Take, Nicole Lee says that the Kajeet service is a good option for families.
11. The New York Times >> Details/Subscribe	Can't Find Little Johnny? Ring His Cell David Pogue Dec. 22, 2005		David Pogue reviews three kids' cell phones here, but two are now discontinued. The Enfora TicTalk gets a bit of discussion, but not all of it is flattering. His overarching advice is to buy phones that are "ultra-simple, ultra-limited, ultra-rugged and ultra-parent controlled."
12. About.com	Kids and cell phones Dr. Vincent Iannelli, M.D. Not Dated		Dr. Vincent Iannelli, About.com's Guide to Pediatrics, discusses the pros and cons of buying a cell phone for your child. One of the best reasons, he says, is that you can stay in touch with your child at all times. This adds an extra layer of security and safety. One downside is that kids shouldn't be alone anyway, if they're young. Also, cell phones are expensive, he adds, when you add on text messages, web use and other extra charges. Some phones are mentioned, but the information on those is now out of date. (Note that About.com and ConsumerSearch are owned by the same parent company, but are not affiliated editorially.)
13. The Wall Street Journal >> Details/Subscribe	Keeping Tabs on Kids' Phones Katherine Boehret July 25, 2007		Katherine Boehret tests Radar, a software application that monitors phone activities. Radar is geared toward parents of eight- to 14-year-olds, she says, and it works well. She especially likes the thorough parental controls. For example, calls from unknown people are automatically unapproved until their status is changed, and you can get mobile alerts that monitor calls via e-mail or text messaging. You can even print out reports. The software isn't rated, though, and it only works on a limited number of phones.